Blogs and Commentary

Morning Jac: Naz Tastes Bitter & Sweet

Rob Randall called Sunday "bittersweet." The bitter was
obviously the 24-10 loss to RIT in the Empire 8 championship game,
a contest in which the Tigers hung 15 goals on the Golden Flyers in
the first half alone. Despite the setback, Randall, who is in his
11th season with Naz, told his team to hang onto their uniforms
when they returned to campus.

"I told them yesterday after our game that we weren't going to
collect the equipment because I felt there was still a shot we
could get in," said Randall. "Stevenson would get a Pool C along
with Amherst, Middlebury and Stevens, and then there were two spots
left. The way I was looking at it, it was Trinity, Bowdoin,
Nazareth, Haverford, Gettysburg and Lynchburg, possibly. Things
just kind of fell our way."

The sweet arrived when the Flyers grabbed one of those two seeds
when the tourney was unveiled late Sunday nigtht. Naz will
now host Union -- the automatic qualifier out of the
Liberty League -- in the first round on Wednesday. It's
obviously a boon for Naz, which brings an 11-6 record into the
NCAAs, but it is also referendum on the Empire 8.

"There have certainly been some years where people have
questioned the Empire 8 teams not getting selected," said Randall.
"This year, I think one thing that has really helped the Empire 8
is RIT is undefeated still and Stevens had a great year. Then you
throw us in the mix a little bit with Ithaca and St. John Fisher,
and I just feel like the NCAA committee had a little more respect
for those teams. That certainly helped our team."

With RIT the top seed in the North and Stevens sporting just two
losses, the high E8 tide managed to lift the Nazareth boat, as
well. Not that there hasn't been some low points. In addition
to RIT wipeout, Nazareth lost to Bowdoin, 21-5 on March 16.
There are a lot of variables in Division III lacrosse, and if
you're not on, you're going to get beat.

"Two days earlier we played Western New England and we beat
them, 17-5," said Randall. "We weren't that much better than WNEC
and two days later Bowdoin put a thumping on us, but Bowdoin wasn't
really that much better than we were."

The Bowdoin loss, as well as the 19-6 loss to Stevens that was
avenged in the conference semifinals, are in the past. Now it is
the Dutchmen who are the focus of Randall's weary crew, which will
be playing their third game in six days.

"At this time of year, we're not practicing for a real long time
and there's only so much you can cover," said Randall. "You just
try to make it as quick and efficient as possible. We're definitely
tired. With the way our tournament sets up with Friday and Sunday
and then play again on Wednesday, it's a challenge. We've got to
prepare ourselves for what I think is a very athletic Union
team."

And if the Flyers beat the Dutchmen and advance on to play
Tufts? That would be sweet.